Leg brace



March 29, 1932. F. A. bREs s R LEG BRACE Filed Jan. 25. 1931 Patented Mar. 29, Y 1932 UNITEo STAT FRANK A. nnnssnaor BURLINGTQN,VE311@[QNT LEG xenon} Application filed J'anuary 23, 19 31.' Seria1.- No.*510, 812. i

This invention relates to leg braces or the" like, and particularly to a lock for the joint of V such a brace.

produced by the ordinary stamping processes a brace having reinforcing oroverlapping It is anobject of this invention to produce joint members effective to prevent lateral motion, whether in an open or closed position.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a joint ofthe character indicated which will eliminate wear from the upright and the rivet.

It is a still further object of the invention toprovide a joint having'parts which can be combination of parts to be hereinafter more" 7 fully set forth and claimed. 1

" In describing the invention in detail, reference will be had to the accompanying draw- 1 ings forming part of this application, whereyen in like characters denote correspondingparts in the several views, and in which- 1 Figure 1 illustrates va view in elevation of one side of a brace, with a lock joint member embodying the invention; I a

Figure 2 illustrates'an enlarged detailed viewshowing the joint broken;

Figure 3 illustrates a VIBW in front ele- .vation' of the brace at the joint;

Figure-4 illustrates a perspectiveview of Ont/f h ements; and

Figure 5 illustratesa sectional view of the 1 joint on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

each of which is reduced in width and shaped :at their meeting end'sto' form overlapping .extensions 12 and 13, respectively, and they 2 are apertured to receive the pivot "14 which In these drawings'lO denotesthe upper brace member and lla lower'bracemember,

1 also extends through thereinforcing plates 15 and 16 secured to the sides of and projects said pivot. Q ,The plate, l9extendsabove the 5 I ber. 10 above. the pivot, and thelower edgeis and 11, respectively. 1. p A reinforcing plate 17 is secured to the inner side of. the member 10 and it overlies i the outersurface ofthe extenslonof the lower 1 member andlt 1s secured on the inner surface of the upper member by fastenings 18, such as rivetsor the like, which extend through c the outer reinforcing plate 15. j I

'A plate 19 is secured to the lower member ;11 by fastenings 20, suchas, rivetsor the like,

and the saidplate 19 is secured on the pivot 1 and the upper 'memberoscillates, onthe pivot andtlies against the "reinforcing plate 17 The. plate-19 has a curved upperend'21 that acts as a cam during the movementiof the upper brace member on the pivot; Plates 22 and23 are secured to'othe sideof the memshaped ,toithe "contour of the camming edge 21'of the plate 19,Wl1l0l1 plate'19-has its outer surface .alining withhthe outer: surface of the plate23 in orderthat alocking sleeve .24

may slide freely on the plates-15 and 23*and plate 19 and the plates 22 and 23, it being obvious that when the sleeve embraces those parts of the device Limmediatelyabove thev pivot 14, its engagement with the plate v19 3 will preventoscillative movement of the meme, -ber's 10 and 11 with relation P to .each other.

In. otherwords, the joint will be: locked againstkmovement 'by'reason of the saidassembled parts- 1 7 a Aspring '25- is connected to the sleeve in any appropriate way, one means for accomrplishingthe result being shown at 26, and the said spring has its other :end connected'in appropriate Way, asbytheapertured lug-27, to the lower bracefmember, and the relation ofparts is such that the" spring exerts aipull V on; the sleeve, tending to hold it} in its opera tiveposition, as shown in Figurel. Astrap or other device-28is connected toqthe-sleeve' I I audit may"extendupwardly andbeAattached I to a j-leg' band {29 owherelitwill:be readily accessible to be pulled'upwardlyto displace 1 the sleeve from its operative position tqzlthe position shown 'in'dotte d l lies, Fig. 2,rwliich; ii i ingfrom the ends .of-theybracemembers 7 l pass the joint between theupper 'endof the 7 will permit the joint to be broken and the upper member may then swing on the pivot. The sprin will retain the parts in the positions in w ich they are shown in Fig. 2 and when the brace members 10 and 11 are returned to operative positions or in approximate alinement with each other, the camming end of the plate 19 will displace the sleeve upwardly, permitting the parts to resume their normal operative position and, of course, the spring is relied upon to replace the sleeve in engagement with the plate inv plate secured to the opposite side ofthe lower member and having an aperture to receive the pivot, the said plate overlapping a portion of the other member and adapted to move with relation thereto, a sleeve embracing and slidable on theupper member and adapted to enas the members are articulated, and means connected to the sleeve for displacing the said sleeve from operative position and to move it against the action of the aforesaid spring.

FRANK A. DRESSER.

gage and disengage the said last mentioned ypidte and hold the members locked together,

a spring anchored to the firstmentioned plate and to the sleeve operative to return and hold the sleeve in operative relation with the member and overlapping plate, the said overlapipingplate having a camming end ada ted to' isplace thesleeve against the action 0 the 1 sprringfor causing the said sleeve to clear the end of the plate has the members are artiou'la'bed.

2. In a :le brace, upper and lower memberg-means or pivotally connecting the said 'members, a plate secured to the lower mem- "ber'a'nd having an aperture in which the pivot is seated, 'a-Vplate on the upper member overlapping :thefirst mentioned plate and having an'aperture to receive the said pivot, a plate secured to the opposite side :of the lower member and having an aperture to receive the qaivot, the said plate overlapping a portion *of the other member and adapted tomove "with relation thereto, a sleeve embracing and slidable 'OII theupper member and adapted toengage and disengage the said last men- 1 tioned plate andhold the members locked tougethe'r, a spring anchored to the first menpl'ate and to the sleeve operative to return and hold the sleeve inoperative relationwith ahe member and overlapping'plate,

the said overlapping plate having a cam- 'min'g end adapted to displace the sleeve 5? against the action of the spring, forcausing the saidsleeve to clearthe end of the plate 

